ANKARA - Commenting on the recent discussions on the Kurdish question, SYKP Co-chair Feray Mertoglu said that the isolation of Mr. Ocalan must be lifted as a priority. The Kurdish Freedom Movement should be able to negotiate freely with different parts of the Kurdish Freedom Movement on the issue and the conditions for sharing its views with the public should be provided urgently.’ 

 

The recent discussions on the Kurdish question, ‘solution or game’, are on the agenda of politics and society. MHP Chairman Devlet Bahceli, in his group meeting, accepted the isolation of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan and conditioned the ‘liquidation of the organisation’ for the ‘right to hope’. Speaking afterwards, CHP Chairman Ozgür Ozel stated that he ‘raised his hand’ and said, ‘I offer the Kurds to become the owners of the state of the Republic of Turkey’. In response to all these statements, the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) once again reminded the government that the interlocutor for a solution is İmralı.

 

Socialist Refoundation Party (SYKP) Co-Chair Feray Mertoglu made an evaluation on the issue.

 

‘No solution can be expected from Bahceli’

 

Feray Mertoglu said that there is no reason to be hopeful about the MHP's initiatives and pointed out that the isolation still continues. Feray said, “We have no reason to believe and hope in this initiative of the ruling bloc initiated by MHP Leader Bahceli. There is not a shred of democracy anywhere in Bahceli's ‘out of the box’ initiative. Undoubtedly, the lifting of the heavy isolation of Mr Abdullah Ocalan is our primary expectation. This isolation was already unacceptable. But there is still no full contact with Mr Ocalan. We have the right to know what he has to say. The trap here is that Turkey, which is experiencing a severe economic crisis, on the one hand, and Israel's genocidal attempt against the Palestinian people on the other hand, is to take the lead in the uncertainty created in the Middle East and perhaps prepare the ground to launch a major attack against Rojava. Bahceli cannot be expected to take any initiative to solve the Kurdish question democratically.”

 

The key is the emphasis on Rojava

 

Feray said that it is not possible to read the ongoing process as a ‘solution’ and that it can be seen by looking at the prisons, adding that the aim is to prevent a Rojava that will be recognised by the world. Feray said, "Under conditions where even the current constitution is not implemented, HDP-DEM executives are in prison and in exile, and the Kurdish question cannot be freely discussed, which democratic process can be mentioned. On the one hand, the preparation of a new constitution and Erdogan's desire to be a candidate again in an early election may have an effect on these outbursts, but the main issue is the recognition of the Rojava Kurdistan autonomous region by the Syrian government after the expected Israeli attack on Iran. This is one of the issues that Turkey fears the most. If Rojava is recognised by the Syrian government, then a fully liberated region will be born. Preventing this is more important than anything else for the Turkish state."

 

‘We also care about and follow the approach of the Kurdish Freedom Movement’

 

Stating that it is not possible to say whether there is a process or not, Feray said: "We don't know if there is a process, but it is important that the Kurdish question is current, that it can be discussed, that the isolation of Mr Ocalan is lifted and even that he can regain his freedom is being discussed. It is also important that the CHP leader first visited Selahattin Demirtas and then Kurdish provinces and called for equal citizenship with Kurds. As SYKP, we have always advocated a just, democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question. We also care about and follow the approach of the Kurdish Freedom Movement, with which we have a strategic partnership as we defined years ago and as a requirement of internationalism. We also see that the spokespersons of the movement have a very cautious approach to this initiative. Of course, we know what kind of tricks the consciousness of political history and the mind inherited from the Ottoman Empire will play on us."

 

‘Conditions for negotiations with the Kurdish Freedom Movement should be ensured’

 

Feray said that the lifting of the isolation is the priority step that will fill these statements, "First of all, the isolation of Mr Ocalan must be lifted. The Kurdish Freedom Movement should be able to freely negotiate on the issue with different parts of the Kurdish Freedom Movement and the conditions for sharing its views with the public should be provided urgently. Depending on these developments, the issue should be opened for discussion in the parliament. An amnesty for the lifting of political bans should be put on the agenda, opening the door to a peaceful solution of the problem. The solution of this problem will ensure the achievement of democratic rights and freedoms as a whole."